Long home to the Chicago Store, for years now the century-old building at Congress and 6th Avenue has looked anything but regal, with boarded-up windows on its upper floor and a deteriorating exterior. But now the building is getting a facelift thanks to a grant from the city’s Downtown Facade Improvement Program, which focuses on preserving historic buildings. Read more» 9

A Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity sued the federal government Wednesday to speed reintroduction of the Mexican gray wolf in Arizona and New Mexico. The conservation group contends that officials have failed to respond to the group’s 2004 petition for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Read more» 1

Delaying capital improvements needed after years of deep budget cuts to Arizona State Parks will only exacerbate the problems and increase future costs, a state lawmaker said last week. "If you don’t take care of your infrastructure, it’s like not taking care of your house and if you let that little $2 item go and don’t fix it, you end up with a $100 repair bill." Read more»

Some deer and elk herds in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah are dying from chronic wasting disease, but Arizona has so far been spared. With fall hunting season at hand, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is asking hunters once again to help keep the neurological disease out of the state. Read more»

As the prolonged drought continues, SRP lays plans to keep water available in the event of shortages. On the Gila River Indian Community just south of Phoenix, leaders are looking to restore the Gila and its wetlands. A new partnership between the water and electric utility and tribal leaders is touted as addressing both challenges. Read more»

Among the murderers and other criminals in Yuma Territorial Prison in the mid-1880s, prominent Mormons were also incarcerated. Their crime? Polygamy. Read more» 2

Mayors of Mesa, Phoenix, Goodyear and Clarkdale shared their cities’ goals and challenges in fostering sustainability during the Arizona Solar Summit. Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said sustainability should be a routine so that no fanfare is required. Read more»

A one-celled aquatic invader that killed thousands of fish in the Salt River is now a growing concern at Roosevelt Lake. Dozens of gizzard shad in the lake died late last month from the toxin produced by golden algae, Read more»

A sharp increase in fatal off-highway vehicle accidents has a state official urging riders to take hands-on safety courses. Arizona had 29 OHV-riding fatalities in 2011, up from eight in 2010; OHV accidents also resulted in 1,611 emergency room visits and 409 hospitalizations in 2011. Read more»

The archived sketches, models and manuscripts of the late Frank Lloyd Wright are moving from Taliesin West in Scottsdale, to Columbia University and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. What does this loss mean to Arizona and will it affect the guest experience at Taliesin West? Read more» 1

Leading the U.S. women’s basketball team, Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi also is eager to see Roger Federer play in the Summer Olympics and to experience Wimbledon and Wembley Stadium, two of this nation’s most celebrated sports venues. Read more»

Echoes of traditional Mexican folk music filled the air of Island Gardens Park in East London on Saturday when the performers from Tucson’s Ballet Folklorico La Paloma and Viva Arizona dance groups took the stage at the park’s American Dance Festival. Read more» 1

If the last two nights are any indication, Trafalgar Square is sure to be a place you’d want to find yourself Friday, when the ceremony will be broadcast live and people from all walks of life come together to kick off one the world’s greatest traditions. Read more» 1